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Report exploring Gender Representation in UK Dance Music published by the Jaguar Foundation, funded by Sony Music’s Social Justice Fund

The Jaguar Foundation, supported by the Sony Music UK Social Justice Fund, has released the findings of a report titled Progressing Gender Representation in UK Dance Music.

The report sets out qualitative and quantitative data looking at gender balance in UK dance music and recommends improvements across areas such as education, accessible working environments, measurement of progress, safety and inclusion riders, and heightened awareness of line-ups and venues. 

“I’m proud to bring this ground-breaking gender report out into the world,” said Jaguar, Founder of The Jaguar Foundation. “My overarching mission is to make the world a better place through my work and bringing equality to the dance world is a huge priority for me. My hope is that this becomes a springboard for much needed change in the electronic music industry and makes women and non-binary people feel supported and represented.”

Progressing Gender Representation in UK Dance Music was funded by the UK arm of Sony Music’s Global Social Justice Fund which launched in June 2020 to support social justice, equal rights and anti-racist initiatives around the world. This funding compliments the grants already distributed to organisations focused on education, skills and pathways into the music industry. 

“Sony Music UK’s Social Justice Fund is dedicated to addressing inequality,” said Charlotte Edgeworth, Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Social Impact, Sony Music UK. “Jaguar’s approach to diversifying the electronic music sector resonated with us and we are delighted to support both her work with young people and this exciting research. Examining the factors that contribute towards gender inequality while also highlighting solutions and existing good practice, helps to provide a roadmap for the industry to move forward in a more inclusive way. We are so grateful to all those who contributed towards this important piece of work.”

This report bolsters the Jaguar Foundation’s debut initiative Future1000, which launched in 2020 in partnership with Sony Music’s Social Justice Fund and FutureDJs (now Virtuoso). Future 1000 aims to address the gender imbalance in electronic music by discovering 1,000 young women, trans and non-binary people from schools across the country, to take part in a DJ, production and leadership programme. 

Sony Music’s Global Social Justice Fund has supported more than 400 organisations worldwide. The UK arm of the Social Justice Fund has awarded more than £1.5 million in funding across 18 grantees since launch. Beneficiaries are chosen by a diverse advisory board of employees representing labels and divisions across Sony Music Entertainment UK, and organisations are supported by a social impact team that works with the charities to track the impact of SJF funding.  

Read the full report

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